President Donald Trump has chosen Katie Zacharia, a conservative lawyer and political commentator, as his next White House press secretary, filling a post that has been vacant since Karoline Leavitt left in August. Trump announced the appointment on Friday on his Truth Social platform, and a White House official confirmed it to the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo.
Zacharia, 42, has worked since June as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that runs Truth Social. She also spent a short period earlier this year as a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security, which she later said she left because of the strain of commuting between California and Washington on her family. She has appeared often on Fox News, Newsmax and CNN, began her Washington career as a Republican National Committee intern in 2006, and served as general counsel for Fix California, a conservative non-profit founded by Trump ally Ric Grenell. She will be Trump's sixth chief spokesperson across his two terms. Leavitt, who said she left to spend more time with her family, is reportedly joining Fox News.
Trump described Zacharia as "loyal" and "a devoted fan and member of MAGA", referring to his Make America Great Again movement, with "an unblemished record of support". He said she had helped his campaigns in key swing states, meaning states closely contested by both major parties, and that she would work "fantastically" with the media. Zacharia called the job "the honor of a lifetime" and said she looked forward to working with the White House press corps and reporters nationwide. She has also been an outspoken defender of the president; in a New York Post column she called him the greatest president in American history.
Analysts see the choice as consistent with Trump's pattern in his second term. Justin Buchler, a political scientist at Case Western Reserve University, said appointments have been based on "personal affiliation and loyalty". Yanna Krupnikov of the University of Michigan said the pick reflects a blurring of lines between media types, with the goal less about speaking to journalists than getting specific messages directly to ordinary people on social media.
The timing is challenging. Midterm congressional elections are due next month, and Dutch broadcaster NOS cited a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll putting Trump's approval rating at 32 percent, the lowest of his political career, with Republicans among those unhappy about the war with Iran and the cost of living. A lawsuit is also under way from several news organisations that have been denied access to the White House. Zacharia will need to manage those tensions while following Leavitt, whom Trump called one of his "most trusted aides" and who was the youngest person to hold the post.